Fish segregating, sizing, and directing apparatus



March 23, 1943. A. L. CHRISTIANSEN 2,314,479

FISH SEGREGATING, SIZING, AND DIRECTING APPARATUS Original Filed April1, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l arr-r:

Ismaentor A. L. C'Zzrzlyzz'azz sen I I Gttomeg March 23, 1943. 2,314,479

FISH SEGREGATING, SIZING, AND DIRECTING APPARATUS .A. L. CHRIST-IANSEN 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed April l, 1955 3nventor A. L; YOfiria/z'czlwen 8g Patented -Mar. 23, 1943 FISH 'SEGREGATING, SIZING,AND DIRECT- ING APPARATUS Andrew L. Christiansen, Willowbrook, Calif.

Original application April 1, 1935, Serial No.

14,052. Divided and this application 1940, Serial No. 322,981

Claims. (01. 2ii9102) My present invention relates to an apparatus forsegregating, sizing, and directing fish.

One of the :principalobjects of this invention is to provide arelatively simple machine for segregating diiferent kinds of fish fromeach other, for sizing all of the fish passing through the machine, anda machine of this class which is economioal to operate, and which willnot readily deteriorate or get out of order.

An important object of this invention is to provide simple means fordirecting fish lengthwise into conveying means and sizing openings, andalso a machine of the class for preventing fish from riding upon eachother in passing through the machine.

An important object also of my machine is to provide means which willreceive fish in large quantities and distribute them in a relativelyuniform manner for segregating and sizing the same in the machine.

An important object also of this invention is to provide novel andsimple means in connection with the sizing portion of the machine fordirecting the fish with their heads foremost.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for readilyadjusting the machine for selecting fish of particular predeterminedsizes,

. A still further object of this invention is to provide an apparatusconsisting of machinesiof this class for selecting fish of variousgraduated sizes.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, I havedevised a machine of this class having certain novel features ofconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts and portions, aswill be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forthin-the appending claims, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings and to the characters of the reference thereon, which form apart of this application, in which:

F igurelis a fragmentary planv of my machine inone form of construction;7 Q Figure 2 is afragrn'entary side elevational view thereof; s

Figures 3, 4, 5, and'6 are; enlarged fragmentary sectional views thereofin elevation, taken re'-- 'spectively throughY3- 3, 4 -4, 5--5, and 6-6of Fig.1; and, Figure '7 is an enlarged sectional view of on unit of thefish conveyor. The'segregating and sizing portion of my in"- ventionconsists'essentially of a plurality of separate link belt conveyorsl,each extending aroundsprockets 2 and 3." All of the sprockets .2

March 8,

are mount-ed on a shaft 4, and all of the sprockets 3 are mounted on ashaft 5, the shafts being supported on a frame 6. Each of the link beltconveyors consists of a continuous link belt to, and a plurality ofblocks lb, these blocks being preferably secured'at the under sides toalternate links of a belt. These blocks form with each other an invertedV-shaped ridge at the upper stretch of the conveyor between thesprockets. The upper stretch of the link belt is adapted to rid-e in aguiding channel I. The guide channels I of all of the conveyors arecarried near their opposite ends of transverse supports 8 in such amanner that the channels may be variously spaced from each other, so asto space the longitudinally block-formed ridges the desired distancesapart to provide openings between adjacent block-formed ridges forallowing fish of certain sizes to drop through the opening formedbetween adjacent conveyors.

Below the upper stretches of the belt conveyors, and between thesprocketsat the opposite ends of the conveyors, is a wide chute 9 forreceiving the fish dropping between the conveyors. This chute isinclined downwardly toward one side of the battery of conveyors so thatthey may pass downwardly to the low'end of the chute.

At the discharge end of the battery of conveyors is another chute H?which is adapted to receive the fish not dropping between the conveyors,these being the larger fish.

The conveyors are so constructed that the body portions of the fish maydrop downwardly through the openings to spaces between adjacentconveyors, but the spaces are such that the heads will not pass through,the gills of the fish being caught at the lower inclined portions of theadjacent conveyors, :As the fish are carried by the conveyors with theirbodies dangling between and below the upper stretches. of the conveyors,these dangling or depending portions may strike the shaft 4 or maybecome entangled in the chains and sprockets; -Forthis reason, I haveprovided a guard l I between the sprockets 2 and th chutte '9, g thejupperportion of the guard being near th sprocketl. This guard isprovided with a plurality of tonguesfia which extend forwardly-whetweenthe conveyors. As the fish are carried forwardly between and by theconveyors, thedan-.

gling bodies engage the guard 9, are turned to horizontal positions, anddischarged head fore rnost into the chute l0. I

The fish, to be segregated and sized, are deposited at-the endsoppositethe ends first described. The means shown is a feed conveyor 21which may have side guards 22. At the discharge end and transversely ofthe feed conveyor is a horizontal star or paddle wheel 23 which isrotated in the direction of the arrow and is adapted to receive the fishfrom the feed conveyor and deposit the same more uniformly on the riffleboard 24. This riflie board is inclined downwardly from the star wheelto the feed end of the conveyors I. The riffle board is adapted to beshaken transversely by a crank or other means 25, or other suitablemechanism. This riffie board is preferably provided with longitudinalridges 26 to retard the movement of the fish and more uniformly todischarge the same on the feed ends of the conveyors l.

The batteries of conveyors I are bridged forwardly of the rifile boardas indicated by 23!, 32, and 33. Each of the bridges have arms 34 whichextend downwardly to the ridges of the conveyors I The bridge 3! isshown as having arms extending downwardly towards the first and fourthconveyors, the bridge 32 as having arms extending downwardly towards thesecond and fifth, .an-dso forth. Thus, the arms are staggered withrespect to each other. provide obstructions for fish carried crosswiseon top on the conveyors I and to rotate the .fish so that they may dropinto the channels at the opposite sides of the arms or obstructions. Thearms or obstructions are staggered so as to keep successive fish frombeing blocked or jammed against the obstructions.

The arms or obstructions 34 are bifurcated at their lower ends andstraddle the ridges of the conveyors I, thereby preventing fish beingcaught I between the conveyors and arms 34.

A bridge 41 is also provided forwardly of the bridge 33, and this bridge4! is provided with downwardly extending teeth, which are provided atthe lower edge of theplate 42 depending from the bridge, as shown bestin Fig. 5 These teeth extend between the conveyors or into thelongitudinal passage between adjacent conveyors. The purpose of thesefingers .is to prevent fish from riding on top of each other.

Tho-ugh I have shown and described a participlar construction.combination, and arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wish tobelimited to the same, but desire to include in the scope of my inventionthe construction, combination, and

arrangement substantially as set forth in the "ap pending claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a plurality of horizontal andhorizontally spaced parallel conveyors having discharge ends, each conveyor comprising substantially inverted V-shaped ridges, and meansbetween adjacent conveyors, and near the bottom and discharge ends ofthe upper stretches of the conveyors, providing obstructions forengaging fish carried by and between adjacent conveyors, for tiltingdepending portions of the fish backwardly'as'the conveyors are advanced,the end portions of the meansfadjacent the discharge ends of theconveyors being spaced backwardly from the outer ridges of theconveyors.

2. In a machine for sizing fish, a pair of spaced parallel conveyors,said conveyors having therebetween a substantiall V-shaped channel open0 at the bottom for conveying fish therebetween with their gillssupported. by the opposite con veyors and their bodies dependingtherefrom, said fish being discharged .from one endoi the conveyors, anda fish tilting guide located longitu- The purpose of these arms is todinally between the conveyors at the discharge end of the latter, theguide being spaced below the upper portion of the conveyors.

3. In a machine for sizing fish, a pair of spaced parallel conveyors,said conveyors having therebetween a longitudinal channel having an openbottom for conveying fish therebetween with their gills supported by theopposite conveyors and their bodies depending therefrom, said 'fishbeing discharged from one end of the conveyors, and a fish tilting guidelocated longitudinally between the conveyors at the discharge end of thelatter, the guide being spaced below the upper portion of the conveyors,and the end of the former inwardly from the discharge end of theconveyors.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a plurality of parallel,horizontal, synchronized belt conveyors, each consisting of a continuousflexible belt and successive blocks of inverted V- shaped cross-section,the blocks being secured with the wide portions of their V-shapedcrosssection to the outer side of the belt, and arranged longitudinallywith respect thereto, the successive blocks forming spaced longitudinalridges for the respective conveyors, and the blocks of adjacentconveyors providing longitudinal V-shaped channels therebetween, withthe channels open at their lower portions.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a plurality of spacedparallel conveyors of such cross-section as to form assorting channelsbetween adjacent conveyors, and a plurality of fingers, each fingerextending downwardly into one channel and substantially across the upperportion of the same, the lower ends of the fingers being located asufficient distance above the lower portions of the channels to allow aportion of the product conveyed in the respective channels to pass belowthe fingers extending therein.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a plurality of spacedparallel conveyors of such cross-section as to form upwardly divergingassorting channels between adjacent conveyors'and a plurality offingers, each finger extending downwardly into one channel andsubstantially across the upper portion thereof, the lower ends of thefingers being located asufficient distance located above the lowerportions of the inclined sides of the channels to allow a portion of theproduct conveyed in the respective channels to pass below the fingersextending therein.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, a plurality of spacedparallel conveyors of such cross-section as to form asserting channelsbe tween adjacent conveyors, a vertical plate mem-. ber positionedtransversely of said conveyors immediate-1y above the latter, said platemember having recesses in its lower edge receiving said conveyors andthe lower edge portion between said recesses extending into theasserting channels.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a plurality of spacedparallel conveyors of such cross-section as to form asserting channelsbetween .adjacent'conveyors, a plurality of stop fintion of the same,the lower ends of the fingers being located above the lower portions ofthe channels, and a pluralityof straightening fingers located ahead ofthe stop fingers with respect to the movement of travel of :theconveyors, the straightening fingers extending to near the top of theconveyors, said straightening fingers being positioned in staggeredrelation with respect to each other.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, a plurality of spacedparallel conveyors of such cross-section as to form upwardly divergingassorting channels between adjacent conveyors, a plurality of stopfingers, each finger extending downwardly into one channel andsubstantially across the upper portion thereof, the lower ends of thefingers being located above the lower portions of the inclined sides ofthe channels, and a plurality of straightening fingers located ahead ofthe stop fingers with respect to the movement of the conveyors, thestraightening fingers straddling the ridges of the conveyors andpositioned in staggered relation with respect to each other.

10. In a machine of the character described, a longitudinally channeledconveying means, a rifile board located at the head of the conveyingmeans, said rifile board comprising a table inclined downwardly towardsthe conveying means, and means for reciprocating the table laterallywith respect to the conveyor means, said table having laterally spacedrows of ridges extending longitudinally with respect to the conveyingmeans, said rows forming longitudinal channels therebetween, the latterchannels being positioned in substantial alignment with the channels ofthe conveying means.

11. In a machine of the character described, a longitudinally channelledconveying means, a riflle board located at the head of the conveyingmeans, said rifile board comprising a table inclined downwardly towardsthe conveying means, and means for reciprocating the table laterallywith respect to the conveying means, said table having laterally spacedrows of ridges extending longitudinally with respect to the conveyingmeans, said rows forming longitudinal channels therebetween, the latterchannels being positioned in substantial alignment with the channels ofthe conveying means, the ridges in the adjacent rows being staggeredwith respect to each other.

12. In an apparatus of the character described, a plurality ofhorizontal and horizontally spaced parallel conveyors having dischargeends, the conveyors comprising substantially inverted V- shaped ridges,and means between adjacent conveyors, and near the bottom and dischargeends of the upper stretches of the conveyors, providing obstructions forengaging fish carried by and between adjacent conveyors, for tiltingdepending portions of the fish backwardly as the conveyors are advanced.

13. The herein described method of sizing fish consisting in: conveyingfish in a substantially horizontal path having a restricted channel;causing the body portions of the fish to drop by gravity through thechannel with the heads of the fish retained above the channel; smallersize fish caused by gravity to drop wholly through said channel;conveying the retained fish in the original path; then raising thedepending bodies of the fish in the channel to substantially horizontalpositions near the end of said path; and then projecting the latter fishbeyond said path.

14. In a machine of the class described, a riffle board comprising aninclined table, and means for reciprocating the table laterally withrespect to the direction of inclination, said table having laterallyspaced rows of ridges extending longitudinally with respect to thedirection of inclination, said rows forming longitudinal and downwardlyinclined channels therebetween.

15. In a machine of the class described, a rifile board comprising aninclined table, and means for reciprocating the table laterally withrespect to the direction of inclination, said table having laterallyspaced rows of ridges extending longitudinally with respect to thedirection of inclination, said rows forming longitudinal and downwardlyinclined channels therebetween, the ridges in the adjacent rows beingstaggered with respect to each other.

ANDREW L. CHRISTIANSEN.

